The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-05-13

came to Front Royal. At this point, and be
tween him and Banks at Strasburg, lay
COL Kenly, with 1 400 Federal troops. Il
jackson could annihilate this force the con
nection between the armies of Banks and Nc
Dowell would be broken.
Accordingly, May 49, he made fierce at
tack on Col. Kenly's little band at Front
Royal and cut it to pieces. This was the
third battle of the Shenandoah campaign.
There was nothing now between Stonewall
jackson and Banks.
Banks retreated with his small force yet
farther north. He left Strasburg and started
for Winchester.
It was now race and chase between
Banks and Jackson to the Potomac If Jack
son paused till the forces of Fremont or Nc
Dowell could come up he would be cut to
pieces. He therefore determined to push on,
surround Banks if possible and destroy his
army before it could be REINFORCED He pur-
sued Banks hotly, and once more the old town
OF Winchester beca,nc the scene of a fight
the fourth III the campaign Banks kept back
for several hours the advancing Confederates.
This was May "a and 25. But the southern
soldiers poured in in larger and larger num-
bers. There was nothing but to run for it.
From Winchester Banks retreated to
Martinsburg. He only waited here two
hours, when he was up and away again. At
sunset, May 25, Banks reached the Potomac
river at Williamsport.
To get OH the Maryland side of the river
was the next thing. The broken army had
retreated in confusion, leaving great quanti-
ties of stores behind them jackson had lit
orally driven them into the Potomac. Into
tho ~ tbax ,>1,,DOaI
the ammunition train, the cavalry swan
their horses, the wagon trains crossed by the
ford and the infantry were conveyed over by
means of a pontoon bridge, which had been
brought down the valley from the upper
Shenandoah
At last the remnant of Gen. Banks broken
army was all across, just in time, for at that
moment jackson appeared opposite on the
Virginia side Of the Potomac.
"Never were more grateful hearts in the
on the Goth we stood OH the opposite Shore"
said Gen. Banks afterward.
Gen. Banks was so deeply chagrined at his
forced retreat that he is said to have shed
tears over it. He declared that he had been
sacrificed by his government, that had
stripped him of Shields division and then left
him to meet Stonewall jackson with less than
a third the number of the Confederate
troops.
On May 81 Jackson rested one day and had
religious service performed in camp, in (which
he gave thanks to God Cor the victory of the
southern arms He had marched from his
camp south of Luray in three days distance
of sixty miles, and had fought two battles on
the way.
May "A there was panic in Washington
when it became known that Banks was re-
treating to the Potomac with Jackson after
him full tilt. Jackson's Shenandoah cam
paign probably prevented the capture of
Richmond by Mcclellan in the summer of
1862 Mcdowell was at fredericksburg with
10000 men under orders to cooperate with
and finally join Mcclellan before Richmond.
The defeat of Milroy and the chase of Banks
down the Shenandoah shattered at one stroke
the plans in front of Richmond. President
Lincoln telegraphed Mcdowell May "a to put
20. 900 men in motion for the Shenandoah
valley at once. Mcdowell obeyed reluctantly.
He wrote the president: ~ have heavy
heart in the matter. feel that it throws us
al back, and from Richmond north we shall |
have all our large masses paralyzed."
jackson had driven Banks down and out of |
he Shenandoah valley and marched his army |
almost into the very teeth of Washington. |
But the now thoroughly aroused Union armies
we're undoubtedly <Rker~
marching upon REk1,T&
frcp, fbao ~ S2ESNZZ